In this section

BEDWORTH

Acreage: 7,851 (2,165 prior to 1932).

Population: 1911, 9,595; 1921, 11,548; 1931,
16,956.

Bedworth is a parish and former market-town on the
high road from Coventry to Nuneaton, 5 miles north
of the former place, with which it was connected by
electric tramway prior to 1941. (fn. 1) Chilvers Coton on
the north, Bulkington on the east, Exhall and Corley
on the south, and Astley on the west are the neighbouring parishes. The town is centred at the junction
of roads to Bedworth Heath and Bulkington with the
main road, with the church on the south and the
Chamberlaine Almshouses to the east of the marketplace. The Coventry and Nuneaton branch of the
L.M.S. Railway has a station here, and the Coventry
Canal passes through the east of the parish.

By the Warwickshire (Bedworth Urban District)
Order, 1928, the parish received urban status, and by
the Warwickshire Review Order, 1932, it was enlarged
by the addition of Exhall and Foleshill parishes and
parts of Astley and Walsgrave on Sowe, bringing the
acreage up to 4,763. It has since been further enlarged, and the population in 1947 was estimated to
be 23,570.

The slope of the ground is from west to east, from
446 ft. in the north-west of the parish near Astley to
304 ft. along the canal bank. Ribbon development
along the main road almost connects the town with
Coventry and Nuneaton, and there is much colliery
and industrial development. Bedworth was well known
for its coal-mines in Dugdale's time; in 1730 the
hamlet of Colly Croft, north of the town, contained
over 30 houses, mainly occupied by miners. At that
time the town consisted of about 260 houses; Thomas
states that there were not more than 14 families in the
reign of Elizabeth, before large scale coal working had
begun. (fn. 2) In the early 17th century the system of free
houses and coal for pitmen was already in operation. (fn. 3)
Sir Roger Newdigate (1719–1806) owned coal works
at Bedworth, and cut a canal to the Coventry Canal for
the distribution of their produce. (fn. 4)

Except for open country in the Corley Wood
neighbourhood the parish is dotted with red brick and
tile cottages which are intermingled with the modern
housing of a mining town.

Opposite the market, and built round three sides of
a quadrangle open to the road, stands a large group of
modern almshouses, and lining the surrounding streets
are rows of houses built early in the last century to
accommodate silk weavers—manufacturers of ribands—each house having a lofty upper story, lit by large
windows.

Few ancient buildings remain. The site of the old
Manor House is said (fn. 5) to be near that now occupied by
the Council offices.

The old Rectory stands over ¾ mile to the west of the
church and just within the parish boundary. Although
most of the house is of the mid-18th century, there is a
wing at the rear which appears to date back a hundred
years earlier. The windows here have heads constructed of stone flat arches with moulded keyblocks.
There are internal doors belonging to both the early and
late 17th century, and the most remarkable feature is the
heavy oak staircase with solid strings and turned newels
and balusters, which gives access to the first and second
floors in conjunction with another stair of 18th-century
design; two turned balusters, coupled together, form
the bottom newel. There are ancient yew hedges in
the gardens fringing a stream which may once have
formed a moat.

Moat Farm, now converted into two cottages forming an elongated rectangle, is situated in the south-west
corner of the parish and is approached from Goodyers
End by Broomhouse Lane—a cul-de-sac to the north.
It is mainly of two-storied 16th-century half-timber
construction, with a tile roof gabled at the ends, but
the long side adjacent to the Lane was rebuilt in
brickwork in the 18th century. The opposite wall (on
the east side), of half-timber, has wide panels between
the timbers, braced at first-floor level and filled with
brick nogging. The foundations to the framing consist
of heavy sandstone blocks, one block on the south-west
corner measuring 1 ft. deep, 1 ft. 9 in. wide, and 3 ft.
long.

Surrounding the cottages is a ditch which, though
now dry, was once a square moat. Opposite the centre
of the east wall of the cottages a causeway spans the
ditch to form a level approach from the Lane. The
side walls of the causeway are much overgrown but
below the modern parapet the brickwork is more
ancient, and the foundations are of sandstone, pierced
by drainage vents.

William Hanbury (1725–78), Rector of Church
Langton (Leics.) and promoter of schemes for founding hospitals, colleges, and a cathedral from the revenues
to be derived from planting woodlands, (fn. 6) was born
here; and Dr. John Bull, the Elizabethan composer,
held reversions for 21 years of lands in Bedworth
known as Maynardeslands, formerly in possession of
the College of Astley. (fn. 7)

Place-names mentioned in early documents include
le Longecrone, Echelesfurlong, Peshul, Scortwodehet,
le Putgreven, and Portlidgate. A mill is mentioned in
1331. (fn. 8)

An Inclosure Act relating to 16½ yardlands, or 500
acres, was passed in 1769. (fn. 9) Bedworth was the headquarters of a Gilbert's Act Poor Law Union, comprising the parishes of Bedworth, Brinklow, Pailton,
and Wolvey in Warwickshire, and Harthill, Higham
on the Hill, Ratcliffe, Sibson, Stapleton, Stoke Golding,
Sutton Cheney, and Willoughby in Leicestershire. (fn. 10)

Manors

In the time of Edward the Confessor
Edwin, Earl of Mercia, held 4 hides in
BEDWORTH, which in 1086 had passed
to Robert, Count of Meulan, Ulfchetel holding of
him. (fn. 11) As with the count's other Warwickshire possessions, Bedworth soon passed to Henry, Earl of Warwick, and his descendants; in 1235 (fn. 12) Simon de Turvill
and Roger de Craft, who had married two daughters
and coheirs of William Turvill, and in 1242 (fn. 13) the same
Roger and John Mace (perhaps a tenant during a
minority) (fn. 14) held one knight's fee of the Earl of Warwick.
The overlordship of the Earls of Warwick continued,
and though there is no explicit reference to the earls
after 1437, (fn. 15) the Saunders' manor (see below) was held
of the King as of the earldom of Warwick in 1621. (fn. 16)
From the 14th century an intermediate tenure appears;
in 1316 John de Hastings held one knight's fee in
Bedworth and Willey of the Earl of Warwick. (fn. 17) This
family became Earls of Pembroke, and on their extinction in 1389 the mesne lordship passed to a younger
branch of the Beauchamps, Sir William de Beauchamp
holding one knight's fee of the Earl of Warwick in
1400, (fn. 18) and Joan his widow in 1435 (fn. 19) and 1437. (fn. 20) It
then passed to her granddaughter and heiress Elizabeth,
wife of Edward Neville, Lord Bergavenny, whose son
George passed it in 1475 to Edward Grey, Viscount
Lisle. (fn. 21) His son John died in 1505 leaving a posthumous daughter Elizabeth who died without issue in
1519; (fn. 22) in 1513 the manor was stated to be in the
hands of her mother, Thomas Massy being bailiff and
Henry Smyth steward. (fn. 23) After Elizabeth's death it
passed to Sir Arthur Plantagenet, (fn. 24) the second husband
of her aunt and heiress, another Elizabeth, formerly
wife of Edmund Dudley; he died in 1542 without
male issue, (fn. 25) and it passed to his stepson, John Dudley,
Duke of Northumberland, on whose attainder in 1553
it reverted to the crown.

The Turvill and Craft families who held a knight's
fee as tenants of the Earl of Warwick in 1235 were
represented in 1313 by Robert Turvill, William Charneles, and the heirs of Hugh de Herdeberewe, (fn. 26) holding
as sub-tenants of John de Hastings, the latter two parties being
descended from the de Crafts
through female lines. (fn. 27) The
manor thus became divided into
two parts; in 1330 Robert de
Turvill leased a moiety of the
manor, except for certain lands,
to his brother Master Philip de
Turvill for his life. (fn. 28) Oliver de
Turvill and William Charneles
are mentioned as tenants in
1346–7, (fn. 29) and in 1361 Robert de Lymeseie, presumably representing the Turvills, and Joan de Charneles
were tenants, the immediate overlord in this case being
John de Moubray of Axholme, (fn. 30) who may have been a
guardian during the minority of John, Earl of Pembroke.
The descent of the Turvill moiety then becomes obscure.

Charneles. Azure a cross engrailed or.

The Charneles moiety was held by Sir William in
1276 (fn. 31) and passed to his son (fn. 32) Henry before 1316. (fn. 33)
His son Sir William held it in 1334 (fn. 34) and died in or
before 1350, when his widow Margaret was lady of
the manor, (fn. 35) as she continued to be until 1383. (fn. 36) In
that year her son John Charneles settled half of the
manor on her for life; the other half he had conveyed
to John Grenehull as trustee, (fn. 37) probably for a settlement on his wife Elizabeth, to whom in her widowhood
Grenehull conveyed the property in 1403. (fn. 38) The
Charneles manor was granted by John de la Hall and
Joan his wife, sister and heiress of John Charneles, to
Sir William de Asteley and others in 1403, (fn. 39) and in
1413 the reversion was granted (fn. 40) to Sir William, the
manor-house and some land then being in occupation
of Thomas de Rokedon, for his life, and then to his
daughter Joan and her husband Reynold, Lord Grey
of Ruthin; from them it passed through the female line
to the Greys of Groby, Lords Ferrers and later Marquesses of Dorset. On the attainder in 1554 of Henry
Grey, Marquess of Dorset and Duke of Suffolk, it was
forfeited to the Crown; he had in 1551 leased 'the
manor place', with barns, stables, a dovehouse, and
three closes called Oxeclose, Roughclose, and Paynes
Haye, for 21 years to Richard
Smythe of Coventry, whose
father had been tenant also. The
lease was renewed by the Crown
in 1557 at the same yearly rent
of £6 16s. for 30 years. (fn. 41) In
1595 it was regranted by the
Crown to Thomas Reade, (fn. 42) and
in 1602 to Sir Clement Fisher, (fn. 43)
at whose death in 1620 Robert
his son and heir was 40 or more
years of age. (fn. 44) In 1730 his descendants kept court baron at
Bedworth. (fn. 45) In 1608 the Fishers granted the site of the
manor, lands, and liberty to dig coal in the manor of
Bedworth to Sir Thomas Beaumont, (fn. 46) and in 1615 Sir
Henry Beaumont and others in turn leased these rights
to Sir William Turpin and others. (fn. 47) Sir Henry Beaumont made a fresh sub-lease to William Blake, esq. and
William Rolfe, gent. in 1624. (fn. 48) The Fishers remained
in possession of the manorial rights till after 1712, when
Mary daughter and heiress of Sir Clement Fisher married Heneage Finch, 2nd Earl of Aylesford, (fn. 49) with
whose family the lordship remained till early in the
20th century. About 1911 the Earl of Aylesford had
sold the lordship to Mr. J. Richards, (fn. 50) who died in
1933, the estate now being in the hands of his sons,
Messrs. E. W. and N. F. Richards. (fn. 51)

Fisher. Argent a cheveron wavy vair between three demi-lions gules.

A manor called SAUNDERS' MANOR appears in
the reign of Elizabeth, and is probably to be identified
with the Turvill half of the manor; half the advowson
was alleged to have descended with it, (fn. 52) and in 1640
Timothy Saunders is described as 'one of the lords of
the manor of Bedworth'. (fn. 53) The
Saunders were a Northamptonshire family, of whom the first
to settle in Bedworth was John,
eldest son of Edward Saunders
of Harrington (Northants.), (fn. 54)
which suggests that he had married the heiress of the Turvill
interest. His grandson (fn. 55) William
died in December 1586, seised
of the manor and of a moiety of
the advowson, leaving a son
Michael. (fn. 56) In 1621 this manor
was stated to be held of the King
as of the earldom of Warwick. (fn. 57)
In 1651 Timothy and Francis Saunders and their wives,
and others, were dealing with the manor, (fn. 58) and in
1658 it was conveyed to Francis by Brasbridge Saunders, Ann Saunders, widow, and Richard Saunders,
and Elizabeth wife of the last. (fn. 59) After this date
Saunders' Manor is not mentioned as such; the family
was still described as of Bedworth in 1682. (fn. 60) In that
year an estate in Bedworth was sold by Martha Flint
and Humphrey Greswold to Nicholas Chamberlaine,
Rector of Bedworth, to pay the debts of Samuel Flint,
serjeant-at-law, Martha's husband. (fn. 61) Other lands,
described as half a manor, being possibly the Saunder's
manor, were sold by William Willoughby and Elizabeth his wife to Charles Goodwyn in 1696. (fn. 62) It was
from Charles Goodwyn that Nicholas Chamberlaine,
clerk, purchased land worth £200 a year, to endow
boys' and girls' charity schools and almshouses; (fn. 63) the
Governors of the Chamberlaine Charity are still one of
the principal landowners in Bedworth. Nicholas
Chamberlaine bequeathed the manor to his nephew,
another Nicholas, who was the owner in 1730, keeping
courts leet and baron. (fn. 64) In 1751 the Chamberlaine
share had passed to the Hughes family of Coventry, (fn. 65)
who retained it till shortly before 1798, when Francis
Parrott was lord. (fn. 66) In 1809 he and John Pratt conveyed their share to William Piercy. (fn. 67)

SMERCOTE, already a depopulated hamlet in
Dugdale's time, (fn. 68) was held as to one hide by Sexi in
the reign of Edward the Confessor. In 1086 the
Count of Meulan was chief and Godric sub-tenant. (fn. 69)
In 1285 William le Boteler had free warren here, (fn. 70)
which was exemplified in 1500 by Sir Thomas Boteler. (fn. 71)
Land in Smercote belonged to St. John Baptist Hospital in Coventry, (fn. 72) and on its suppression in 1545 was
granted to John Hales of Coventry. (fn. 73) This probably
originated in a grant of land in Bedworth by Bernard de
Arleye in 1327, (fn. 74) and another of 2 acres of wood there
by William Suwet in 1392. (fn. 75)

A grove called Boles Grove in Bedworth which had
belonged to the Carthusian Priory of St. Anne, Coventry,
was granted in 1545 to Richard and Thomas Lawley. (fn. 76)

A close and pasture called Church Close, which had
formerly provided for the upkeep of a lamp in the
church, was granted in 1570 to Nicholas Yetsweirt and
Bartholomew Brokesby. (fn. 77)

Church

The church of ALL SAINTS is
largely modern and stands on the west side
of the main street. It consists of a square
chancel, nave with north and south aisles, a chapel to
the south of the chancel, and two vestries, for clergy
and choir, to the north. Being without a clearstory
the nave is lighted by means of two-light windows in
the aisles. In the west there is a tower, without a spire,
and the aisles are entered by a north and a south porch.

There have been at least three churches on the same
site, and the list of rectors contained in the church
dates back to about 1300. The earliest surviving
remains are of the 14th century, as indicated by blocks
of red sandstone dug up when the foundations of the
present church were being prepared, and afterwards
incorporated in them. (fn. 78) Another church was built
early in the 19th century (fn. 79) to replace all but the tower
of the one preceding it. The new nave ran with its
length from north to south, immediately to the east of
the old tower; it contained galleries, and a small chancel
was planned on the east side, (fn. 80) opposite the tower. The
whole of the church built at this time must have been
demolished, for, with the exception of the tower, all
the present fabric was built between 1888 and 1890 of
red Runcorn sandstone with slate roofs. The style is
uniform and in the manner of the 14th century.

The square tower of grey sandstone, though of
genuine 14th-century work, has been much restored
and is of little interest. It is constructed in two stages
divided by a string-course. The mouldings of the
embattled parapet and the base courses have been
replaced in modern times. The four diagonal buttresses
finish beneath the parapet. Those on the west side
bear signs of two medieval scratch dials which have
been restored. None of the openings appear to be
preserved in their original state. The belfry window of
two lights in each of the four sides has a two-centred
14th-century head with no cusping (probably removed).
In the lower story the only external openings consist of
a west door with three-light window over, both constructed with two-centred heads in the 19th century,
the window tracery having been replaced at a more
recent date.

Internally a two-centred tower arch of two plain
chamfered orders dying on to square jambs opens into
the nave and appears to be of 14th-century work. It is
closed off by a pair of modern wrought-iron gates. The
roofs are of open timber construction, with the members gilded over the main altar.

Five wall tablets of black and white marble, all
dated about 1790, are fixed to the walls of the chancel.
The reredos is of carved marble, and a modern organ
overlooks the chancel, contained in a loft over the
vestry. The interior walls are all plastered.

There is a peal of eight bells. Seven are mounted in
the main belfry and one at a higher level just beneath
the tower roof. (fn. 81) There were three by Watts of
Leicester; the tenor, weighing 8 cwt., was recast in 1891
with the following old inscription recorded: 'cum cum
and praie'; the other two were not recast and both bear
the following words: 'ihs nazarenus rex judeorum
miserere mei fili dei' with the two dates, respectively
1627 and 1629. The remaining five bells simply bear
the date '1891' and 'J. Taylor, Loughborough'.

Advowson

The first mention of a priest at
Bedworth is in 1297, when protection
was granted to Master Robert de
Craft, parson. (fn. 82) In 1300 Master Philip de Turvill had
leave of absence for 3 years to continue at the university, the patron then being William Charneles. (fn. 83) The
patronage continued with the Charneles family all
through the 14th century, and passed with the Charneles half of the manor to the Astley family, and so
through the Greys of Ruthin and the Lords Ferrers to
the Marquesses of Dorset till the attainder of Henry in
1554, except that in 1512 Henry Smyth presented pro
hac vice, (fn. 84) and in 1521 Richard, son of Henry Grey,
conveyed his rights in the advowson with the manor to
Sir Arthur Plantagenet, who held the mesne lordship. (fn. 85)
From the beginning of the 17th century the advowson
was attached to the main manor, held by the Fishers,
though the Saunders, tenants of the other half-manor,
included it in all their dealings with the manor, and
William Saunders presented to the benefice in April
1569; but as the Crown made another presentation
just a month later it would seem that his right was not
acknowledged. (fn. 86) From 1662 the right of presentation
went with the Fisher half of the manor, except in 1663
when Sir Clement Throckmorton presented, (fn. 87) and so
to the Earls of Aylesford, who held the right till the
20th century. (fn. 88) In 1926 the patronage was in the
hands of Col. Brittan and Mr. A. Bolton, (fn. 89) and from
about 1930 of the Martyrs' Memorial and Church of
England Trust. (fn. 90)

The rectory was valued in 1291 at £5 6s. 8d. (fn. 91) and
in 1535 at £10 3s. 10d. (fn. 92)

Isabel, widow of Sir William de Turvill, in about
1230 gave to the canons of Arbury Priory land in the
Hook Wood in Bedworth for the good of the souls of
her husband and of their son William. (fn. 93) A century
later, in 1332, Philip de Turvill, rector of Bedworth
and prebendary of Lichfield, by permission of his
brother Robert, lord of the manor, gave property here
to found a chantry at the altar of St. Mary in Bedworth
church. (fn. 94) He must have given the patronage to the
canons of Arbury, as they presented to the chantry from
1339 to 1422. (fn. 95) In 1424, however, it was found that
the endowment was insufficient for the support of a
chaplain, and the Bishop and Dean of Lichfield ordained that in future one of the canons of Arbury
should say a mass of the Blessed Virgin on three days
in the week at Bedworth and on the other days in the
church of the priory. (fn. 96) The property held by Arbury
in this parish at the Dissolution was worth £2 8s. 8d. (fn. 97)

Charities

Nicholas Chamberlaine's Hospital and Sermon
Charity is regulated by a Scheme
dated 14 September 1878 made under
the Endowed Schools Acts and is comprised in an Order made by the Charity Commissioners
dated 20 July 1906. The charity was founded by will
dated 24 June 1715 which directed that the Almshouses which the testator had then covenanted to have
built in Bedworth should be occupied by poor men and
poor women born in and of the parish of Bedworth
and that each inmate should be allowed 1s. 6d. weekly
and the sum of 4s. yearly to provide them with fuel, and
also receive every two years at Christmas a gown or coat.
Under the provisions of the above-mentioned scheme
the yearly sum of £1 1s. is required to be paid by
the Hospital Governors for a sermon to be preached
by one of them, being a minister, or by some other
minister, in accordance with the directions contained
in the will.

Orton Memorial Trust. By a Declaration of Trust
dated 30 August 1939 a sum of £200 2½ per cent.
Consols was settled upon trust, the dividends to be
applied by the trustees, who are appointed by the
Urban District Council of Bedworth, in making gifts
of coal to poor or necessitous widows who are resident
in the Urban District.

Abraham Hammersley by will in 1724 charged certain property in Bedworth with the annual payment of
10s. to 20 poor widows of the parish to be chosen and
nominated by the vicar and churchwardens.

Henry Smith. This parish is one of those partaking,
in common with twenty-one other parishes, of the rents
of the Thurlaston Estate, comprising part of the endowment of the General Charity of Henry Smith. The
share of the income applicable for each parish is, in
accordance with the provisions contained in an indenture dated 20 January 1626–7, applied by the churchwardens and overseers of each parish for the relief of
the aged poor or infirm people of each parish.

Church Estate. By an Act for inclosing the common
fields of this parish certain land was awarded to the
rector and churchwardens of the parish for the repairing, beautifying, and enlarging the parish church. Part
of the land has been sold and the proceeds of sale
invested. Trustees of the charity are now appointed
by Order of the Charity Commissioners. The annual
income of the Charity amounts to £62 (approximately).